This invention relates to a method of controlling phytopathogenic fungi by the use of a fungicidally effective amount of certain N-acetonylbenzamides which exhibit low phytotoxicity to the plant as well as the use of such compounds in fungicidal compositions.
It is known that the benzamides in the class of N-(1,1-dialkyl-3-chloroacetonyl) substituted benzamides have fungicidal activity; see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,661,991 and 3,751,239 However, such compounds, wherein the terminal carbon can only be substituted by chloro or hydrogen atoms, are so phytotoxic that they have no practical use in the treatment of fungal plant infections of plants.
The present invention recognizes that the phytotoxicity of such N-chloroacetonylbenzamides can be reduced by altering the substituents on the carbon of the acetonyl group to other than only hydrogen or chlorine.